The Eternal has told you: O mortal, what is good; and what does the Eternal require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
God who is peace, bless us with peace. Rabbi Nahman of Breslov (1773-1810)

Spring, 2016

Dear Christian Colleagues and Friends:

We, the undersigned rabbis and cantors serving the American Jewish community across the United States, reach out to express our hope for a partnership between our communities on behalf of peace and justice for Palestinians and Israelis. The Jewish community has never been monolithic and there is much on which those whose names appear below do not agree. Nonetheless, certain principles do unite us, and we have attempted to articulate those principles below.

Today we struggle with how to apply the values of justice and peace in our work to support reconciliation and coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. We mourn the losses on both sides without equivocation. There is no other way to express our heartfelt sadness at the continuing loss of life. We condemn all voices that call for violence as a path to achieve political ends.

We are inspired by those who work together, day by day, to foster relationships and keep communication open. We embrace all those who are working to bring Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews together not only to create a shared vision of coexistence and peace, but also to build institutions upon which peace and coexistence depend. We are especially heartened by the ways in which environmental concerns unite the two communities.
Israel was founded as a Jewish state that promises, in the words of its founding document, to “ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.” This principle balances the right of the Jewish people to a homeland with the rights of all others for whom the State of Israel is also their home. Especially in times of conflict, we believe Israel must reaffirm both of these commitments: to be both a Jewish and a democratic state.

We are saddened that there does not appear to be political momentum toward a renewal of negotiations. That makes it even more important that we unite to support those who are not waiting but are already engaged in peacemaking. We urge you to consider the work of grassroots groups of Israeli Jews and Palestinians that bring people together and nurture the spirit of peace and justice in the next generation.

We understand that divestment and other strategies designed to force Israel’s hand might appear to be legitimate, non-violent ways for Christians to make their voices heard. However, divestment only hurts efforts to foster economic cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians – something both parties and the international community know is essential for peace. Furthermore, whether intentional or not, a divestment resolution would provide support to the international BDS movement – a movement which claims to seek peace but leaves no room for a Jewish state of Israel alongside a future Palestinian state.

This only deepens the sense within Israel and large parts of world Jewry that Christians do not understand our deepest, existential concerns. If the goal is – as it should be - to encourage and empower Israelis and Palestinians to make courageous moves toward peace, divestment is counterproductive; it allows each side to retreat into its own sense of victimhood. Those Jews who advocate for divestment and similar strategies do not represent the broad consensus of the vast majority of American Jews.
We urge you to reject divestment. Choose instead to empower those on both sides who are committed to building a new reality.

Please join with us in support of both peace and justice for Palestinians and Israelis.